The doorway threshold of recreational vehicles, trailers, and the like is typically high above the ground. Access to these vehicles can be difficult and even unsafe, especially for older persons who often use such vehicles. A series of permanent steps attached beneath the doorway to permit easy access would be impractical, since they would decrease the effective clearance of the vehicle and extend the width or length of the vehicle (possibly beyond legal limits).
The desirability of having steps for recreational vehicles that may be folded out of the way when not in use has long been recognized. Such steps should fold readily, store compactly, and permit easy, safe access to the vehicle or trailer. The steps should not increase the overall width of the vehicle when not in use, since the steps may already extend to the maximum width allowed by regulation. The retracted width of the steps should be such that, when not in use, the rear of the steps do not interfere with the mainframe channels of the vehicle. The depth of the steps presents another safety/ease-of-access consideration: ideally each step should be deep enough to permit the entire foot of the user to have tread access, not just the heel or toe, when both ascending and descending. This is especially important when descending, for example, to keep the user from pitching forward.
Many designs have been developed in attempts to address some of the abovedescribed considerations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,230 to Phillips discloses foldable camper steps that pivot one on the other until they reach a fully retracted position. Each of the step members is formed from an L-shaped member. Several problems exist with the application of the Phillips step assembly to a recreational vehicle or trailer. The vehicle door is typically on the side. As such, very little or no increase in width beyond the door can be allowed by the steps when not in use. The Phillips steps, even when fully retracted, extend at least the width of one step beyond the door. Another problem is in the shallowness of the depth of the step treads. A user may not be able to fit his or her entire foot on the tread. Deepening the tread would only exacerbate the overall increased vehicle width problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,790 to Weiler discloses a retractable vehicle step that swings into a retracted position. This step could be mounted on the side of a recreational vehicle and stowed beneath the door under the side of the vehicle when not in use. However, since only one step is disclosed, safe and convenient access may be somewhat less than desirable. If the mainframe height of the step is kept within a reasonable range for ground clearance purposes, the distance from the step to the ground may be excessive. If the step did project lower, the distance from the door threshold to the step may be excessive.
The limitations of the above-described steps of the prior art are typical of current designs. The present invention was developed to effectively address the problem of convenient, safe access to recreational vehicles, trailers, and the like while fitting within the constraints imposed by space limitations such as ground clearance, restricted vehicle width, and small mounting areas.